Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented Dec. 26, I899.

F. W. PREUSSEL.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Oct. 28, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

mz nonms PETERS cov. FHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. n. c

N0. 639,933. Patented Dec. 26, I899.

F. W. PREUSSEL. ACE'TYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Oct. 28, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

m: mains PETR m. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHKNGTON. n. c.

NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE; I

FRANK \V. PREUSSEL, -OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

ACETYLEN E-GAS G EN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,933, dated December26, 1899.

Application filed October 28, 1898. Serial No. 694,849. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. PREUSSEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Clemens, county of Macomb, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-GasGenerators; and I declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This improvement relates to acetylene-gas generators, and has for itsobject improvements in that class of generators in which the carbid issubjected to water in a closed tank of fixed and constant capacity andthe gas emanating from the generator is conducted to a holder orgasometer of varying capacity, where'it is stored preparatory to use.From the gasometer the gas passes to the place of use through ordinarygas-pipes. This system of generating, storing, and using gasnecessitates the use of piping the open ends of which are constantly inan atmosphere that is saturated with moisture. Those ends of the pipewhich are in the generator are in an atmosphere saturated with moisturebecause of the heat incident to the chemical action of the water on thecarbid; and one object of the invention is to collect all theconcentrated moisture in a drip-tank in which drip-pipes running fromthe several pipes of the machine are entered, part of them beingsubmerged in a connected drip-water, which is utilized asa seal to thesubordinate pipes. I have also found that if the acetylene gas begenerated in a tank to which only sufiiioient water is admitted toproduce the necessary chemical action the gas becomes heated in theprocess of generation, and if gas that has been so heated in generationbe used for lighting purposes it makes a very poor flame, deficient inlight and much less economical than if the gas be generated under suchconditions that it will remain cool. I have found that the poor qualityof the gas due to heating during the process of generation is due tosome deterioration of the gas itself and is not simply due to the factthat it is heated and used while heated. Attempts have been made to coolthe gas by passing it through a coil in a water-tank or by some similarprocess of cooling; but this does not entirely overcome the difficulty,inasmuch as if the gas has once been injured by overheating it does notrecover its qualities on being cooled; and another object of thisinvention is to provide means by which the generator is kept constantlycool, and the gas generated in this cool generator is not itself heatedto so high a degree as to be injured in its illuminating qualities.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suitable safetyappliance to the gasometer, such that if the generation of gas is forany reason continued until the quantity of gas produced exceeds thecapacity of the holder then the excess of gas will escape to the outsideof the building or to such place that it will do no injury to theoccupants of the building and have no bad results except the loss of theexcess of gas produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety appliance whichprevents the removal of the carbid-receptacle forming a part of thegas-generator without shutting off the valves in the pipes which leadtherefrom into the gasometer.

The admission of water from the water-supply tank to the generator isregulated and the valve through which it is admitted automaticallyclosed and opened by means of a lever which is actuated by the movablepart of the gasometer, so that when the gasometer is nearly empty of gasthe valve admitting water to the carbid is open, and as gas is generatedand the gasometer filled and expanded, the valve gradually closes downand finally closes entirely, shutting off the access of fresh Water tothe carbid and stopping the production of gas. This automatic actuatorof the valve is so arranged that as the gasometer fills more and more.the valve closes more and more, the admission of water being reducedgradually, so that by the time the gasometer is filled with gas thewater will have ceased to flow and the water which has previously beenadmitted to the carbid will have produced its chemical action on thecarbid, and there will be very little moisture left in thegenerating-tank to continue the production of gas after the water hasbeen once shut off.

The objects of the invention are attained by means of the device shownin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of theseveral parts of a machine with the casing 'partly broken away, so thatthe interior arrangement of the pipes maybe understood. Fig.2 is anenlarged sectional View of the gas-generator, showing the means ofclamping the carbid-receptacle to the cover of the generating-tank. Fig.3 is an enlarged detail of the Valve-actuating mechanism which regulatesthe supply of water from the water-tank to the generatingtank. Fig. 4 isa perspective showing the arrangement of the assembled machine.

In the drawings, A indicates the outside or fixed tank of the gasometer.This is similar to ordinary gasometers and consists of a tank arrangedto be filled with water. Within it are contained the ends of the pipeswhich lead from the generator and pipes which lead to the place ofservice and other pipes which lead to a place of escape for excess ofgas. Central to the tank A is a standard 9, over which telescopes a tube9 that is made fast to the movable part B of the gasometer. The standardg and the tube 9 are merely the central guides, which retain the tank Aand the bell B in proper position as one rises in the other.

Into the lower tank A enter on one side the inlet-pipe e, which leadsgas from the generator I into the gasometer, the outlet-pipe m, whichisthe safety-pipe, and the outlet-pipe g, which is the service-pipe. Allof these enter or pass through the walls of the fixed tank A near thebottom thereof and are provided-with upturned bends, both inside andoutside. The terminals on the inside rise above the normal water-levelin the fixed tank A, and the terminals on the outside connect withpiping that leads either to a place of escape, as the pipe m, or to aplace of service, as the pipe 9, or to the top of the generatingtank, asthe pipe e.

On the outside of the fixed tank A and at or near the place where theseveral pipes described turn outward on the outside of that tank thereare also downward-leading pipes, connecting with each of the pipesmentioned, which lead into the drip-tank E. These downward-leading endsof pipe are open; but that one which is connected with the service-pipeg and is marked 9 leads below the surface of the water in the drip-tankE and is sealed by that water. So also the end 0 of the pipe whichconnects the inner end of the generating-pipe e with the outer part ofthe generating-pipe e at the bend of said pipe on the outside of thetank A terminates below the sealwater in the tank E. The portion m ofthe safety-pipe m terminates in the same tank E, but above theseal-water. Thus all of the pipes are provided with means for collectingand discharging condensation-water, and all of the pipes which aregenerally in use for the conveyance of gas are thus sealed within thetank E. That one of the pipes m which is only occasionally in use and isonly in use when it is desirable to insure a safe discharge of anoverproduction of gas is not sealed within this tank. This last pipe mis, however, provided on the interior of the gasometer with a peculiarsealing arrangement. The

upper end of the pipe 472 terminates some distance above the normalsurface of the water in the gasometer A, and'over the pipe m telescopesa loose tube n, the lower end of which extends down into the seal-waterso far that it only rises above the seal-water when the bell B is sonearly filled with gas that it is desirable to discharge any further gasthat may enter underneath it. When this point is reached, the lower endof the telescoping tube at rises above the water or rises so high that ahole in it permits the gas to enter inside the outer tube 01. and thenceinto the open end of the tube m, whence it escapes to the outer air. Thetelescoping tube n is continued above the top of the bell B and cappedin order to perrnit a considerable rise of the tube m above the normalsurface of the water.

The generating-tank I is a metallic receptacle arranged to be attachedto or detached from the covert by means of a bar j, that enters holes inears It on the receptacle and is strained by a screw P, that pressesagainst the cover 25 and draws the receptacle Iagainst the under side ofthe cover and against an interposed packing-gland t. The cover t of thegas-generator remains fixed with respect to the gasometer, being held inposition by the pipes provided for the passage of gas and for thepassage of water into the gas-generator. The receptacle I is removable,and in order. to remove it the bar j must be loosened, removed from theears 7c 70, and the receptacle part of the generator dropped downwardand in the fully-assembled machine (I rawn forward within the outercooling-tank H.

Around the generating-tank I is placed a cooling-tank II. This is a tankof water resting on the base 2 of the machine and which can be removedafter the generating-tank has been loosened from its fastenings. Thegenerating-tank prevents its. removal until so loosened,and thecooling-tank II prevents the removal of the generating-tank except inthe way indicated.

At the bend of the pipe 6, where it turns after rising from its passagethrough the cover t, is a valve D, actuated by a hand-lever d, which isso arranged that it extends downward in front of the tank I when thevalve is open and must be turned to one side or the other to permit thetank I to be moved forward out of position. This emphatically calls theattention of the operator to the valve and causes him to close the valveD before attempting to remove .the tank I'from the fixed position on thecover. The cooling-tank H is partially filled with water, and the Waterserves to keep the tank I coolduring the time that chemical action isgoing on within it and keeps the gas produced at a sufficiently lowtemperature to prevent the injurious effects of the high heat incidentto the production of gas without a cooling appliance of that kind. 5 Thewater in the tank H also serves as a support for the tank I and isespecially useful in floating the tank I to its place when loaded withcarbid, making the manipulation of the heavy tank much more easy andmore readily operated by a single attendant than would be possible wereit necessary for the attendant to lift the tank I to its place and holdit there while placing the bar j in position. The water in the tankserves to hold the tank up against the cover until the attendant cansecure it.

The water is fed into the generating-tank I from a supply-tank K, fromthe bottom of which a pipe 0 extends downward to a lower level than thebottom of the tank I, whence it turns upward to a higher level than thetop of the tank 1, giving to the pipe 0 the form of an inverted siphon,which provides an efiectual seal against the back pressure of the gas,the seal of course being equal to the difference in level between thepipe 0 (which is the level portion of the pipe above the tank I) and thetop of the water in the tank K. In the rising part of the pipe G is avalve h, actuated by a lever h, which passes through a swivel-eye F onthe sliding rod f, that is secured to the upper part of the bell B. Thelower end of this rod f is provided with an eye that runs on a guide-rodG, which is made fast to the lower part or fixed part A of thegasometer. As the bell B rises the rod f rises with it, lifting the freeend of the lever h and turning the plug of the valve h. The action inclosing the valve is arranged to be fast during the first part of themovement and to become slower and slower as the bell rises until at apredetermined point the passage-way through the valve is entirelyclosed. Into the pipe 0 enters a rising pipe 0*,which taps the pipeObelow the tank K and provides means for clearing out with an air-pump orsome similar forcing appliance the pipe 0 if by any chance dirt or anyforeign material gets into it. 5o The packing gland t is preferablycontained in a groove in the cover 25, and the innor wall of the grooveis extended slightly downward to form aguide or ledge, outside of whichthe walls of the tank I engage the top edge of the tank I, thus pressingagainst the packing'gland, into which it embeds itself slightly, andthus forms a very tight joint at this part of the apparatus.

A pipe w leads into the drip-collecting tank, terminating near thebottom of that tank, and this pipe 10 serves the double purpose offurnishing access to the drip-tank for the purpose of filling it withwater to produce a seal at the ends of the pipes leading into the tank,and later, after water begins to collect in said tank, the pipe toserves as an escape or outlet for any excess of water that may collectin the drip-tank.

What I claim is- 1. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of agenerating-tank cover fixed in position and having the various pipessecured thereto, a generating-tank located in part un= der said cover,means for securing said tank to said cover, a cooling-tank supportedindependent of said generating-tank and adapted to contain water tosupport or partly support said generating-tank, said cooling-tank beingof such a size and shape as to permit of the introduction of saidgenerating-tank, and its movement into position to be secured to saidcover while said generating-tank is supported by said water,substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator, in combination with an expansible gas-holder, a generating-tank, the cover of which is fixed with respect tothe gas-holder, and the body of which is removable from said cover, a wator-holding tank surrounding the generator adapted to hold a supply ofwater on which the generating-tank may be supported, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK W. PREUSSEL.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. PARKER, CHARLES F. BURTON.

